Diverse Admissions at NYC Specialized High Schools See Small Rise, but Segregation Persists
- Aime Lufulwabo, MD, MPH
- Aug 15, 2024
- 2 min read
By Aime Lufulwabo, MD, MPH | August 14, 2024
New York City’s specialized high schools have made a slight improvement in admissions for Black and Latino students for the upcoming freshman class. However, the data reveals that these prestigious institutions remain markedly segregated.
According to the latest figures released by the city, Black students received 4.5% of admission offers, up from 3% last year, while Latino students saw an increase to 7.6% from 6.7%. Despite this modest progress, these numbers still fall short when compared to the city's public school demographics, where about 65% of students are Black or Latino.
Education Department officials have highlighted this year’s rates as “the highest since 2013,” yet the disparity remains significant. Asian American students received 52% of the offers, and 26% were awarded to white students. Given that around 32% of NYC students are white or Asian American, these figures underscore the ongoing racial imbalance within the specialized high schools.
The specialized high schools, including the Bronx High School of Science and Stuyvesant High School, are renowned for their academic excellence and are highly sought after. Admission is based solely on the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), which has been criticized for perpetuating segregation. The SHSAT results in four of the eight specialized schools admitting 10 or fewer Black students, with Stuyvesant High School offering places to only 10 Black students out of 744.
City officials have expressed a goal of ensuring that the student body of specialized high schools better reflects New York City's diversity. However, schools Chancellor David Banks has yet to implement major changes or prioritize integration efforts. The longstanding Discovery program, designed to offer admission opportunities to students just below the test score cutoff, has had limited success in diversifying the schools.
The lack of substantial reform reflects broader challenges in addressing school segregation in New York City. Past proposals, such as those by former Mayor Bill de Blasio to overhaul the admissions process, faced strong opposition and were not approved by the state legislature. Current efforts to diversify the schools continue to encounter legal and political hurdles.
As NYC’s specialized high schools remain a critical gateway to top colleges and professional opportunities, the ongoing debate about their admissions practices highlights a pressing need for systemic change. While some progress has been made, the quest for greater equity in these schools continues.
For more updates on educational trends and admissions, stay tuned to our latest reports.
— Aime Lufulwabo, MD, MPH
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